JAKARTA: A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the Banda Sea in eastern Indonesia early Thursday (Oct 29), with tremors felt in several areas of Maluku and Papua.
Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Earthquake and Tsunami Director Wijayanto said the earthquake occurred at 5.06am local time, with its epicentre located about 20km northwest of the Tanimbar Islands in Maluku province.
Wijayanto said the strength of the earthquake was initially reported at magnitude 6.4, but it was later revised following further analysis, with its depth updated to 164 kilometres.
"Based on tsunami modelling results, this earthquake has no potential to generate a tsunami,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
Wijayanto said tremors were recorded at intensity III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale, indicating that light shaking was felt indoors in Banda Naira and Tanimbar in Maluku, Kaimana in West Papua, and Sorong in Southwest Papua.
He said no aftershocks had been detected as at 5.30 am local time. BMKG would continue to monitor seismic activity and provide updates.
He urged residents to remain calm, avoid buildings damaged by the earthquake, and rely only on verified information from official BMKG channels. - Bernama
